My Day in Pros and Cons

I know a lot of you might think that I stole this from Jimmy Fallon, but I was doing it long before I knew that he did. Seriously. Also, not to be a stickler, but Jimmy’s Pros and Cons are not always really pros and cons. They’re more like funny statements. Which, you know, is acceptable for a Tonight Show host. Anyhow. I’ve gotten off topic already.

I just got home from the airport (thanks for picking me up, Allison!) and I feel a little all over the map. First of all, I have to unpack eventually which is my least favorite part of traveling. And second of all, I have an early morning so I gotta get myself to bed in the near future. So, there are those things. But downloading my day with you, dear blog reading friends? Priceless.

Pro: Sleeping in. The epitome of a vacation! And my last chance to do so before Monday morning work begins, since I have an early morning call time for sound team at church. Plus, having your mom wake you up instead of an alarm is an infinitely better way to start the day.

Con: Morning, no matter how late it started for me, marked the end of a lovely week with the people I love. A LOT.

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Pro: Flying on Southwest means that my bags got to fly free. Also, they have new machines in the Houston airport where you can attach your luggage label-thing yourself, cutting down on standing-in-line time.

Con: I did not go to enough college to figure out how to properly adhere it. I literally stood at the kiosk staring at the instructions on the back and attempting to detach a section of the thing that was not meant to be detached (Oh, you pull UP on the buckle! I was attempting to rip the fabric part…I thought if I could just get it started.*). I offered my bag with to the attendant who was in charge of throwing it on the conveyer belt somewhat sheepishly and looking for approval. Who knew the check-in process could be so humbling?

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Pro: Since I had a good boarding position, I could pretty much choose my seat.

Con: Other people with questionable social awareness and varying levels of cleanliness could also choose their seat. For my part I avoided the loud-talking networkers behind me (“Oh, my daughter just graduated from that school. What line of work did you say you are in? Let me get you my business card.”) and also the weird guy that is likely either an engineer or works in IT that was burping up a storm and wearing his t-shirt on his head as a sort of headdress. Additionally, I successfully side-stepped the five person family complete with a pre-teen that responded to everything his mother said with an “I know, Mom!” accompanied by the ever-popular eye roll. (That move doesn’t look as cool as you think it does, guy.)**

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Pro: Using my two hour flying time to catch up on Entertainment Weekly magazines. Guys, they are NOT KIDDING about that weekly thing. The thing comes every.single.week.without fail!

Con: That feeling of trust that disappears as we are beginning the take-off process. I believe in engineering and aerodynamics, but the whole thing freaks me out a little more than I would like.

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Pro: Coming home. Sleeping in my own bed. Getting back to my routine.

Con: Knowing that a tragic shooting happened in my hometown again and feeling so deeply grieved by the subsequent arguments from all sides of the country in making sense of it all. I know everyone is working through it in their own way and I also know that most people are well-intentioned. But name calling, blame shifting, and using this tragedy to promote any agenda at all is just wrong. Praying for those hurting tonight in my city and for peace to be restored to our streets.

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In short, everything today was a little bittersweet. But tomorrow is a new day with no mistakes in it yet. And God promises new mercies every morning.

If only the morning didn’t have to come so early…

XOXO,

Amy

*Quoted from Jerry Seinfeld’s stand-up routine “I’m Telling You for the Last Time”. If you haven’t heard it, you must do so posthaste. For realz.

**I ended up sitting next to a lovely older couple who did not judge me for reading the Summer Movie Preview issue of EW at the end of November.